In the case of the satellites, it's speculated that the problem stems from some mishap with the 13 storey-tall Long March 2D rocket.

It was supposed to deliver the probes into a near-circular orbit some 300 miles high, where they'd spend eight years beaming HD images back home.

Yet if there is a problem, Beijing is keeping quiet, with neither government officials nor the satellite's owners releasing a statement.

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NASA

Aug. 19, 2016: Expedition 48 Commander Jeff Williams (shown here) and Flight Engineer Kate Rubins of NASA successfully installed the first of two international docking adapters during a five hour and 58-minute spacewalk

Another website, spacenews.com, said the two SuperView 1 satellites had tried to raise their orbits via onboard propulsion.

This, the report claimed, had pushed the probes' orbit to at least 218 miles high, albeit at some cost to the mission's lifespan.

But still an additional, student-built satellite which hitched a ride on the Long March 2D had been unable to do the same, the site said.

It's unclear whether the probes are designed to break up in the atmosphere or – if they can withstand reentry – where on Earth they would land.